The Fight for John
by RedwallLemon
Summary: Master Chief John-117 is the savior of mankind, and something about him intrigues Commander Miranda Keyes. As she arouses new feelings within the Spartan, Cortana seizes the opportunity and tests how far he will go. Escalation occurs in a fight for John.
1. Chapter 1

The Fight for John

Chapter 1

John-117. That was his full name. John-117. Normal people had a first and last name, at least. But the Spartans' names consisted of a first name and a serial number.

John-117. Just a name and three numbers to describe the savior of mankind.

How intriguing, thought Commander Miranda Keyes.

The Master Chief had just returned to Earth a month ago after destroying an entire Covenant armada and a ring world called "Halo". This was the first time Miranda had ever seen John, even if it was while he was wearing his full suit of Mjolnir armor, which was all but pulverized from battle. She was saddened by the news that her father had died on Halo, but proud of his courage.

Miranda saw John's face only once: this was at a meeting with the UNSC top brass. He looked lost without his armor on, and maybe a little awkward. She thought it was charming. His face was pale, but rugged and striking. He was definitely handsome by Miranda's standards. Yet something about him was so mysterious.

She was determined to find out more about this man who wore the armored suit.

-----

During this short lull in the war, it was the Master Chief's "nightly" routine to wander the corridors of the Cairo Space Station before returning to his room to sleep. Maybe it was the restlessness of having nothing to do for once; after fighting a war non-stop and destroying a fleet of Covenant ships, the Chief had to sit still at the Cairo for a decorating ceremony. Maybe it was because his new Mjolnir suit hadn't made it to the station yet, and he missed the feeling of armor surrounding his body. Or maybe he was just trying to stay in shape. Whatever it was, the Spartan could be seen walking the station every night. It was the perfect opportunity to catch him alone.

Tonight Miranda decided she would do just that. It was a quarter to 11 and she knew that the Spartan would be passing by the hallway near her quarters soon. She had put on a very pretty business suit with a short skirt, which sadly was the best she could come up with out here that might stand a chance of drawing a man's eye. Her hair was let down, which she thought was attractive and flowing. After a quick look in the mirror she stepped outside and waited. When she saw his large frame turn the corner Miranda began to walk toward him, pretending, of course, that she was on her way somewhere.

When John got closer Miranda turned and smiled, trying her best to seem surprised to see him. He stopped and saluted crisply. "Why hello, Master Chief!" she greeted him. "At ease, no need to salute me at this hour of the night. Where are you off to? In a hurry to be somewhere?"

"No, ma'am," John answered awkwardly as he lowered his hand to his side, still standing stiffly. "I'm just walking for a bit before I head to my barracks."

Miranda smiled to her self, thinking it charmingly humorous that the Master Chief had his own quarters here and still referred to them as barracks. "Your walk can wait, perhaps? I was wondering if you'd like to join me in my quarters for a drink so we can talk, and I can get to know you better. I'd also love to hear about your time serving under my father; you served with him not long before he died, so it would be nice to know more about how he went."

John wasn't sure how to respond. A woman had never asked him to her quarters before, so he didn't know what this meant. Was he supposed to have one drink, talk for a few minutes, and leave? Or did she expect him to spend the night and… "I- I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't drink," was all he could come up with.

"Well that's fine, you don't have to drink," Miranda said in a reassuring tone, touching his shoulder lightly. "But you _must_ be lonely and needing somebody to talk to. After all, you just spent your last few weeks alone on a ring full of Covenant and flood, not to mention that you're probably still grieving over the loss of your fellow Spartans. Don't tell me you don't need to talk. I'm giving you an opportunity to open up to somebody, John." She wasn't sure if using his first name was appropriate, but she hoped it would set him at ease.

The Spartan shuddered slightly at her touch. It was unfamiliar. His first reaction when she called him John, coupled with the physical presence of her hand on his shoulder, was to get out of the situation. Luckily he managed to keep his self-control, withdrawing his shoulder slightly. "Sorry, perhaps another time, Commander Keyes," he said with a hasty salute, and walked past her to continue his walk.

It seemed to Miranda that the Spartan had practically run away from her. She was truly baffled, and he still remained just as mysterious.

-----

John's sleep did not come easy that night. Thoughts floated around his mind – about the past few weeks, the loss he had experienced, the eventual triumph at great costs, his lost brothers and sisters, but mostly Commander Keyes. Had she been coming on to him? If so, had he done the right thing by politely declining, or would she take it as a personal insult? Perhaps she was just being friendly, and if so, perhaps he should have taken the offer. He wasn't sure about any of this, but above all one thing continued to surface to the forefront of his mind.

Spartans were not sexual beings. They were human in every other capacity, even superhuman, but they were incapable of feeling sexual arousal. It was a side effect of their physical enhancement many, many years ago, and no Spartan gave it a second thought. It was a small price to pay to serve humanity. However, after replaying his short encounter with Miranda over and over, John began to wonder if his shudder at her touch was in fact arousal. Was he sexually attracted to her, or was he just surprised that she had touched his shoulder? Sure, he could admire that she was a physically attractive woman, as anyone could, but there was a difference between admiration and attraction. One touch could not undo the fact of his surgical side effect. He was incapable of sexual urges, and that was the end of it.


	2. Chapter 2

The Fight for John

Chapter 2

"You know how expensive this gear is, son?"

John was home again; he was back in armor, and not just any armor – he was wearing the new Mark VI Mjolnir armor. Sure, the damage assessment on his previous Mark V Mjolnir suit was not pretty, but the damage he had inflicted on the enemy was far worse. He smiled grimly at the technician as he fastened his new helmet with a hiss of air.

"Tell that to the Covenant."

-----

Not long since receiving the Mark VI armor, John was showing it plenty of action. The award ceremony had been cut short due to the sighting of nearby Covenant ships breaking slipspace. Nobody had yet expected the Covenant to find Earth, and to add to the surprise, the fleet was tiny compared to the forces that had glassed Reach. The Master Chief was busy driving the Covenant off the Cairo when Cortana, who was in the ship's computer system, detected that they had brought a bomb on board. John fought his way to the bomb, and after transferring Cortana to his Mjolnir suit he touched his hand to the bomb, allowing her to disable it. And not a second too soon, according to the AI. John, however, wasn't finished just yet.

"Sir, permission to leave the station," he said over the com channels.

"For what purpose, Master Chief?" the Admiral replied.

"To give the Covenant back their bomb."

John was satisfied, only minutes later, to see the remains of a Covenant ship flying past him as he propelled through the air toward another UNSC ship, Commander Keyes' _In Amber Clad_. The bomb had worked.

"Chief, get inside, gear up," Miranda hailed him after he landed on the ship's hull. "We're taking this fight to the surface." Once inside the Chief learned that a convoy of Covenant ships had made it to the surface, somewhere in Africa, and were infesting the streets of New Mombassa. Clearing the vermin out was not a problem, but when a Scarab showed up, he knew this would be more of a challenge. Nonetheless, the huge 4-legged transport toppled with John strolling off the top as the remaining Covenant ship turned to flee. And this was no ordinary ship – this ship carried one of the three Covenant leaders, the Prophet of Regret. Nobody knew exactly why he had arrived here with such a small fleet, or why he had specifically targeted New Mombassa, but Commander Keyes was not going to let him get away.

"Sir, the Prophet is bugging out," she said over the video com. "Request permission to engage."

"Negative, Commander," the Admiral answered. "Our vector's too heavy for starside intercept."

"Ma'am!" a crew member called. "Slipspace rupture off the target's bow. It's gonna jump – inside the city!"

"There's no time, sir," Miranda pressed over com, brushing a strand of black hair out of her face.

"Green light!" the Admiral ordered. "Green light to engage!"

The slipspace hole widened further as the _In Amber Clad_ closed with the Prophet's ship. Both ships were bathed in a white light as the hole began to close behind them. Miranda's ship shook violently as if by torrential winds, and suddenly everything went black. They had made it into slipspace. Nobody was certain how much of New Mombassa was left, or where they would arrive when this trip was over, but everybody on board knew, somehow, they were mankind's last hope.


	3. Chapter 3

The Fight for John

Chapter 3

"Attention crew," Miranda's voice echoed throughout the ship, "this is Commander Keyes. We are now in slipspace, pursuing the Prophet of Truth's vessel. Our destination is unknown. E.T.A. is roughly two hours, but don't quote me on it. Get some rest… you'll need it."

The Master Chief had been in action for many long hours. He wasn't sure if he knew what time of day it had been when they left Earth; maybe it was only a few hours after the decorating ceremony, maybe it was the next day. The fighting in New Mombassa had been gritty. Nevertheless, sleep came easily now, although John refused to remove his armor in case of emergency.

Cortana, however, did not need to rest. Since John was still armored, she occupied herself scanning his memories from when he finally discarded his Mark V and she was deposited in the Cairo's computers, to the moment that she was transferred into the new Mark VI to disarm the Covenant bomb; roughly a week and a half. The entire process would probably take a lengthy ten seconds, but she had nothing better to do. The first week or so of memories was so predictable, which she had to admit her Spartan was when attempting to fit in with his fellow humans, that she considered finding something else to do; then something caught her attention – the Master Chief's encounter with Miranda Keyes on the Cairo. She recounted this incident over and over, analyzing every word and action.

This was most interesting.

Next in her analysis was that night when John had trouble sleeping; he was apparently in some sort of mental distress or conflict. It seemed to be an internal conflict regarding… sexual arousal. Scanning her own memory banks, Cortana confirmed that the catalytic thyroid implant every Spartan had received at age 14 caused a suppressed sexual drive. It was a well-known fact. So what was John worrying about? She scanned his neural memories further. There it was: she found a pattern that seemed somewhat familiar. Yes, it was a "human" pattern that she recalled via Dr. Halsey's memories that had been implanted in the AI. She would have to double-check, but if her theory was correct, Spartans were capable of sexual arousal! For half a second she recalled a feeling Dr. Halsey had experienced when aroused, what humans called being "wet".

Cortana quickly checked herself. Why had this possible discovery excited her so much? She hadn't exactly disproven the laws of physics or anything remotely useful; she had merely theorized the potential of her host experiencing sexual urges. Yet something about this concept intrigued her so much that she was intrigued by her reaction as well. Was she experiencing another "human" emotion passed on from her creator? If so, it was a damned poor joke. There was a vast difference between an AI admiring a human's physical appearance and theorizing whether the human was capable of sex. Why did it matter, anyway? AI's were not physical beings. Her fascination with this entire concept was impractical if not absurd.

Then a new thought crossed her mind. She had, during her hours of research while on Reach, stumbled across a thesis on dreams, written by an AI. This particular AI had experimented on a willing human by entering his mind and attempting to alter his dreams. The results were inconclusive so the theory remained unproven, but the AI asserted that it was still highly possible.

Perhaps it was time to test out this theory herself.

-----

John was sleeping soundly. Short, vivid dreams of the Halo world and its horrors resounded in his mind as he sought some sort of respite. Waves of Flood closed in on him; his shotgun had only three more rounds before he would be overcome. Right as he began to reach for his final grenade, the entire ring world suddenly vanished. It was replaced by a white emptiness first, then Cortana's voice echoed in his dream. "This won't do," she said aloud as the emptiness seemingly faded into a room that resembled his quarters on the Cairo. Why was he dreaming about the Cairo now? Was his subconscious telling him he had been wasting time during that week and a half, that he had disappointed Cortana?

His thoughts were hushed away moments after they came into his head. Looking around, he realized he was sitting on his bed, dressed comfortably in his grey faded UNSC shirt and UNSC-issue boxer briefs. He recognized these bits of clothing; they were what he had slept in while at the Cairo. This dream still made no sense to him, unless he was feeling guilty for resting while others were defending mankind in the corners of the galaxy. He was certain this was not the case, so he scanned for further meaning – perhaps a warning of some kind.

As he turned his head he noticed Cortana standing in the room with him. Not a holographic projection as he was used to; oddly enough, he was looking at a physical representation of the AI. Her purple-pink "skin" was replaced with human flesh, and she was dressed in an elegant white robe. She resembled Dr. Halsey, a younger version of her, he thought, yet he was certain this was his AI companion. She strode toward him slowly, staring deep into his eyes. He wanted to look away but her intense lavender orbs would not allow it. When she stood a few feet away she stopped and stood before him, seemingly surveying him as if he were some work of art awaiting her approval. Somehow he felt uncomfortable, but he did not know why.

Then Cortana reached for the cord that held her robe in place and untied it, allowing it to fall to the floor and revealing her completely naked body underneath. Again John tried to look away, but could not bring himself to. He had seen her like this before; in fact, her holographic projection was wholly nude, albeit covered in shapes and figures. This was different. Here she was real – numbers and computations were replaced with fair, soft skin and a perfectly curved body. She was beautiful, of this he was certain. Then he found himself doing something he would have never expected – he was staring at her breasts.

What the hell? This was not acceptable behavior. As much as he tried not to, he found himself not only staring at, but admiring Cortana's breasts. They were shaped exactly as he would have imagined, rounded and perky; her nipples were small and pink. Her slender waist curved outward at just the right angle… John checked himself; there was no way he was sitting here, having a dream about seeing his AI naked, and _enjoying it_.

Cortana directed her gaze downward and giggled to herself. Following her eyes John realized he _was_ enjoying it; his manhood had filled with blood and was now pointing straight up. Not only that, he was _huge_. A quick estimate suggested he was at least 23 cm long. Was he… aroused? Cortana smiled and stepped closer, leaning in and touching his briefs – right at the bulge. What he felt in response was conflicting. Half of him wanted her to leave him alone, and half of him wanted exactly the opposite. "Stand up," he heard Cortana's voice say, although her lips were not moving. He stood obediently, somehow compelled to do as she said. Slowly she began to pull his briefs downward until they were on the floor, and John looked down to see his member, engorged with blood and nearly throbbing. His mind swam too quickly to process a single thought. Almost immediately Cortana knelt and began to kiss the tip of his manhood. John shivered with the sensation. She kissed it again, satisfied to feel another shiver.

Now she took the entire tip inside her mouth. Her mouth was quite warm and moist for an AI's physical manifestation, he thought. She ran her tongue over him a few times, feeling him shiver reactively to the sensations. She entertained the thought of going all the way down on him, and after a quick scan found that he would not be able to take much more of this stimulation. She smiled to herself… perfect. Placing her tongue across his head one last time she suddenly enveloped his entire member. John's mind and heart both raced out of control; his AI was performing oral sex on him, and he was enjoying it! After only a few seconds more he trembled in ecstasy, feeling a very sudden and violent release, then his mind went blank.

-----

John awake abruptly. Had he been dreaming? He wasn't sure. Something didn't seem right inside his suit, however. The suit's HUD flashed a display he had never seen before, which he read and reread. Had he… ejaculated during his sleep? After a quick assessment his suspicions were confirmed. How unusual. He would have understood if he was going through puberty, but he had finished puberty at age 14. Nevertheless, he was unable to remember any sort of dream that might have occurred to trigger this, so John stored the incident away as insignificant.

Suddenly the ship lurched. They were finally leaving slipspace, or so he hoped. The ship shook violently and was still again.

"Sorry for the quick jump, Sergeant," Miranda's voice rang loud and clear through the com. "You in one piece?"

"I'm good," Sergeant Johnson replied. "Chief?"

"_We're_ fine," Cortana answered through John's helmet. Hearing her voice startled him, although he wasn't sure why. He was used to hearing her voice, especially through his helmet's com. Maybe he was so absorbed in his own thoughts he had forgotten he was sharing his head with a superintelligent AI.

At the same time that the Chief was listening to the com chatter, hearing Cortana and Commander Keyes discussing another Halo ring coming into view, something in the back of his mind tugged at him. It had to do with Cortana, he was sure of it now. Did he have a dream about her?

"Chief, take first platoon," Keyes' voice broke through to interrupt his deep thought. "Hard drop, secure a landing zone. Sergeant, load up two flights of Pelicans and follow them in."

Whatever it was that was bothering him, whatever he had dreamt about, it would have to wait. There was another Halo to land on, and more Covenant to kill. It was time to save the world… again.


End file.
